The present invention relates to a user interface and, more particularly, to a setting apparatus which set a function in a given main device on the basis of the line of sight of an operator.
Many functions are provided on the main units of electronic devices available nowadays. FIG. 1 shows a conventional method for changing the setting contents of functions of the main unit by a user.
Assume that a main device shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to a video camcorder and has a viewfinder 50, a "MENU" key 40, "NEXT" key 41, and ".+-.ADVANCE" keys 42. The video camcorder as the main unit has, as one of its functions, a function of setting the internal time of the camcorder to be the local time of a place designated by an operator.
A case will be examined below wherein a user designates a place name, the local time of which is to be set. For this purpose, the user has to select a function of setting the local time from many functions of the camcorder, and then designate the place name or his or her choice. In the prior art shown in FIG. 1, the function is selected by designating an item "TIME ZONE" on the menu screen.
For this purpose, the user depresses the "MENU" key 40 first. Upon depression of the key 40, a menu shown in FIG. 1 is displayed on a screen area 50a in the viewfinder 50. Subsequently, the user depresses the "NEXT" key 41. The key 41 sequentially moves a cursor indicated by a mark "" on the menu. The user moves the mark "" to the position of the item "TIME ZONE" on the menu by depressing the "NEXT" key 41. In the example shown in FIG. 1, "SYDNEY" is selected as the place, as shown in a screen area 50b. Also, on a screen area 50d in the viewfinder 50, place names (Tokyo, Sydney, Hongkong, and Bangkok in this case) in this device are displayed.
The user selects the place name, the time of which is to be displayed, by depressing the "-" or "+" key. For example, upon depression of the "+" key, the displayed place name changes clockwise, i.e., in the order of "TOKYO".fwdarw."SYDNEY".fwdarw..cndot. .cndot. .cndot..fwdarw."BANGKOK".fwdarw."HONGKONG".fwdarw."TOKYO". On the other hand, upon depression of the "-" key, the displayed place name changes in the order of "TOKYO".fwdarw."HONGKONG".fwdarw."BANGKOK".fwdarw..cndot. .cndot. .cndot..fwdarw."SYDNEY".fwdarw."TOKYO".
When "TOKYO" is displayed on the screen area 50d, the user depresses the "MENU" key 40 again to determine "TOKYO" as a place to be set, and "TIME ZONE" of the internal time of the main unit changes to "TOKYO".
However, as described above, when the menu is displayed on the display screen to change the setting state of the functions of the main device, since the "MENU" key 40, the "NEXT" key 41, and one of the "+" and "-" keys must be operated, the user must operate at least three manual switches in this case. For this reason, the conventional operation for changing the setting of functions is very troublesome.
In view of this problem, in recent years, an electronic device such as a video camera which has an electronic viewfinder for displaying a plurality of functions on a monitor screen and a gazing point or line of sight detection device for detecting the gazing point of the operator on the monitor screen has been proposed.
In such video camera, when an operator gazes at a function index displayed in the monitor screen, a gazing point is detected, the function desired by the user is determined on the basis of the detected gazing point, and the function corresponding to the function index corresponding to the gazing point is executed. Execution of a function based on line of sight detection, i.e., selection of a function based on line of sight detection will be generally referred to as an "eye switch" hereinafter.
An example of the eye switch will be explained below with reference to FIG. 2.
A video camera shown in FIG. 2 has nine functions "WIND CUT" to "EYE SWITCH". Upon depression of a "MENU" key 40, the names of these nine functions are displayed on a screen area 50e in an electronic viewfinder 50. An operator moves a cursor 51 to the position of "EYE SWITCH" on a screen area 50f in the viewfinder 50 using a "NEXT" key 41. The "EYE SWITCH" function further includes four functions displayed as "FADE" (a function of fading out an image), "DATE" (a mode of inputting a date), "TITLE" (a mode of inputting a title), and (a mode of rewinding and reproducing a partially recorded portion). In an example shown in FIG. 2, "FADE" was selected in the previous setting operation.
When the user wants to select the function , he or she depresses one of "ADVANCE" keys 42. For example, upon depression of the "+" key 42, the mode included in the "EYE SWITCH" function changes, on a display screen area 50h, in the order of "FADE".fwdarw."DATE".fwdarw."TITLE".fwdarw..fwdarw."OFF".fwdarw."FADE".cnd ot. .cndot. .cndot..
On the other hand, upon depression of the "-" key 42, the mode changes in the order of "FADE".fwdarw."OFF".fwdarw..fwdarw."TITLE".fwdarw."DATE".fwdarw."FADE".cnd ot. .cndot. .cndot. When the user depresses the "MENU" key 40 again as is displayed, the video camera determines that the user has selected the mode, turns off the menu displayed in the viewfinder 50, and displays a mark 52 in the viewfinder 50 instead.
At this time, the function is not executed. In order to execute this function, the user gazes the mark 52. The line of sight detection device arranged in this video camera detects that the line of sight of the user matches the mark 52, and starts execution of the mode.
In the above-mentioned prior art, to change the function of the main device using the function setting apparatus, a plurality of menu screens or pages are required, and many key operations are required to change the menu screen or page, resulting in a very cumbersome function changing operation in the conventional apparatus.
In the conventional function setting apparatus, only one name is displayed on the menu page screen provided with the eye switch. For this reason, the operator cannot simultaneously confirm the setting contents for all the functions of the electronic device main body.